I started watching anime when I was about 5 years old. It all started with Sailor Moon and gradually progressed to Digimon, Bakuguan and Duel Masters. Now mind you I didn’t know that’s what I was watching, I just thought it was another cartoon. It took me till about the end of high school and early college to get back fully into anime. It’s created a lasting impression on me.
On the blog I’ve shared what my beliefs are and how they’ve shaped my life up to this point. Just like with video games, there seems to be a disconnect with people who identify as Christians and the anime industry. Not to say that there aren’t religious elements in anime, but you don’t see too many people who talk about their faith along with their favorite anime character. I wanted to dive into the question of if Christians should watch anime.
I pose this question because without a doubt there would be Christian of the mindset that shows like Pokemon, Digimon or Bleach are evil. These are probably the same “Christans” that would claim the witches and wizards of Harry Potter are of the devil. Now I’d like to say that I can’t determine the levels of someone’s faith or belief. I can only speak from my personal experiences and my relationship with God.
I say all this to say that my answer can’t be a definite yes or no. It hovers comfortably in the gray area. There’s anime like Naruto that show just because you were once an outcast, you can find friends and be loved. Violet Evergarden shows that although it’s difficult to deal with loss, you have to continue to move forward towards acceptance. There’s plenty to learn from the examples I just gave. But then you have anime like Kill la Kill and Fairy Tail. I haven’t finished Kill la Kill because of the outfits/ fan service. Same with Fairy Tail. And I loved Fairy Tail. It was one of my first anime series I watched in college.
For me, I couldn’t focus on the story because I was too distracted by the fan service. Now here is the part where I get into the gray area. Anime has the ability to dive into stories that can’t be easily portrayed on screen. For example, Attack on Titan is dystopian horror where people are trying to survive these massive human-like Titans that destroy and kill hundreds of people. This anime is gory and gruesome. It leaves little to the imagination because of how much it shows. I honestly wouldn’t recommend it to people who scare easily or really anyone younger than 18. Despite all this I enjoy watching this show. The story is amazing and it is told well. Does this make me less of a Believer?
I don’t believe I’m less of a Christian because I like watching anime. This would also include those shows that might have too much blood or one too many suggestive characters. I know this is true, because I am called to talk about this subject matter. I don’t know who it’s for, but it’s okay to be both a Christian and watch anime. You just need to know what is morally right for you. For instance, I know I have my own personal triggers that can lead me into a destructive way of thinking. Because of this, I try to steer clear of anime that has overly sexual or suggestive themes (which means no Food Wars or Devilman Crybaby for me). It’s taken me a while to break those types of bad habits, so I try to not dive head first into content that will make me go back to those habits.
I also realize there is some cultural elements to anime, that differ from where I’m from, and that’s okay. I can pick and choose what I consume, because at the end of the day it’s my mind. Truthfully, I don’t really think you need those kinds of elements to tell a good story, but I know a lot of people want them. I think that’s why God made me, me. I see the good and awesome things anime can provide, but I also acknowledge that not so good things for me.
Ultimately it’s your decision if you want to watch anime. There are nice wholesome shows like Pokemon or Yo-Kai Watch. There’s adventure and action anime like One Piece and Bleach. There’s romance anime like Blue Spring Ride or Toradora! And psychothrillers like Durarara and Death Note. Are these shows for everyone? No. Are these shows all for Christians? Maybe. Maybe not. I said before that you need to understand why you play what you play regarding video games. It is true with what you watch too. What am I getting out of this show? Once you take a moment to really reach and answer that question, you’ll know what you need to do.
As a Christian, I don’t believe I or any other Christian is limited to only consuming Christian content. There’s no way to connect with other people different from you if you limit yourself. I want to eventually create anime, and there’s not possible way I’m going to be able to do that without understanding the genre. So for me, anime is here to stay and I hope it can be for you too.
Let me know what you think! I’d love to create a dialog around this topic. Be sure to check other articles on the site and our Instagram page. Peace!
